Ryan Says “Nobody is Proposing to Deny Birth Control to Anybody.” Really?

get causes updates

Paul Ryan says he is clear now on the definition of rape. Earlier he had not only supported legislation narrowing the federal definition of rape to “forcible rape,” he actually co-sponsored it.

However, in an interview with a Pittsburgh television station, he now says, “Rape is rape. Period. End of story.” He says he’s still proud of his pro-life record, which includes support for a ban on abortion even in the case of rape and according to NARAL, his record includes 59 votes (all anti-choice) on abortion and other reproductive health related issues, but he is yielding to Gov. Romney as to what the Romney-Ryan administration would say on that question. Romney in the past has appeared to oppose an exception for rape, but that, too, appears to have changed in the wake of the Akin controversy. Romney now says he would make an exception for rape.

So I guess we’re clear on the abortion/rape question. But what about family planning? Here, too, Ryan seeks clarity. He says flatly, “Nobody is proposing to deny birth control to anybody.”

Really? If so, does the term “nobody” extend to everyone, including Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan? Both Romney and Ryan want to eliminate federal Title X funding, which supports the operation of clinics providing family planning services to low-income women in the U.S. Ryan has consistently cast votes in the House against international family planning programs, voted to eliminated Title X and has voted to defund Planned Parenthood. Alternatively, maybe the term “anybody” is not supposed to apply to low-income women. Or maybe “deny” is supposed to mean “forcibly deny,” like under penalty of imprisonment for use of contraceptives.

This is not an academic question. Thanks to state attacks on Planned Parenthood, family planning clinics all over Texas are shutting down, and if a Romney-Ryan Administration gets it way, many Title X-supported family planning clinics across this country will be shutting down, denying low-income women, particularly in rural areas, from getting access to family planning services.

More than 5 million women and men access family planning and related services every year through Title X funded clinics. This access has had a large impact, according to the Guttmacher Institute; in 2008, Title X-supported centers helped prevent 973,000 unintended pregnancies, which would have resulted in 432,600 unintended births and 406,200 abortions.

If these Guttmacher numbers are even remotely correct, it would appear to suggest that “Somebody is proposing to deny birth control to a lot of people.” Moreover, it would appear that “somebody’’ would include the proposed Romney-Ryan Administration.

This is for anyone who is confused if they will be able to vote in 2012 because of the voter suppression going on in some states. Or if anyone knows people who may be disenfranchised I am posting a phone number that will help. There are groups who are working to make sure every citizen gets their right to vote. This number will help with information, and actually help those in need get rides to the location where they can obtain the new rules identifaction. Whatever it takes to make sure they have their constitutional right to vote unhinderd. Phone #866-OUR VOTE....866-687-8683

Jaime, I am not sure what you are referring to when you state that my Washington Post fact checker is obvious. That statement is not obvious to me.

My Employer is Kaiser Permanente, it is a non-profit hospital and clinics. We don't have a middle man. Every one involved is an employee of Kaiser, and is paid as an employee. There are no insurance executives taking million dollar bonuses for themselves, which of course adds nothing to a patients health care. So, yes we need a universal single payer health care system. Kaiser is a good blueprint for that.

The Romney/Ryan plan for Medicare is to put Medicare advantage, that Obama removed saving billions of dollars, back into Medicare which will cost seniors much more....because the advantage plan put the insurance executives back into Medicare.

WOMEN BE SURE TO GET OUT AND VOTE BE REGISTERED AND TAKE A CAR LOAD WITH YOU!
BE SURE THESE FOOLS DON'T HAVE ANY SO AND NO CONTROL OVER YOU!
WOMEN ARE NOT TAKING ONE STEP BACKWARDS!!!
SHOW THEM AT THE POLLS LADIES!!!!!!

Here is Ryan's voting record: http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/26344/
He voted pretty consistently against abortion (with one exception: He voted to continue . funding foreign organizations that promote it as a means of family-planning). However, prohibition of abortion in cases of rape or incest never arose. Here are the bills regarding abortion during his term in office, along with those about harm to fetuses which I think show his reasoning:
http://votesmart.org/bill/7641/21248/26344/prohibition-of-chemically-induced-abortion-amendment
http://votesmart.org/bill/10563/28173/26344/prohibiting-federally-funded-abortion-services
http://votesmart.org/bill/3344/11772/26344/abortion-pain-bill
http://votesmart.org/bill/3393/7972/26344/child-interstate-abortion-notification-act
http://votesmart.org/bill/3171/8279/26344/unborn-victims-of-violence-act-2004
http://votesmart.org/bill/3607/8990/26344/substitute-amendment-to-unborn-victims-of-violence-act
http://votesmart.org/bill/2990/7970/26344/child-custody-protection-act
http://votesmart.org/bill/3605/8862/26344/abortion-funding-amendment
http://votesmart.org/bill/7640/21245/26344/overseas-military-abortion-amendment

I find this one troublesome in light of his view on abortion:
http://votesmart.org/bill/3604/8867/26344/adoption-restriction-amendment

The closest he came to opposing abortion in cases of rape or incest was the opposition to federal funding of abortion. However, that may have ha

Jaime J. If your employer provides you with health insurance plan, then yes, the premiums are usually the same for everyone choosing the same plan. Many women work for small businesses which do not offer health insurance. They must purchase their own plan directly from the insurance company and those plans tend to be more expensive, especially for women of child bearing age.
I used to work at the auditor-controller payroll department of my county and took care of the voluntary salary deduction (the main one being health insurance). We offered several health plans, and their coverage and prices were different. If, as Ryan demanded, the insurers can choose whether or not to offer contraception and abortion coverage, the plans which do offer it will be more expensive.
Yes, there are clinics -for the very poor- which offer free contraception. Most women however, do pay a co-payment for their doctor's visits and medications (pill included). The rationale for the free care is that, if the person/couple is too poor to afford health care and contraception, it is indeed too poor to raise children.

Frances, your Washington Post fact checker is obvious...I even love the reference to four Pinnocchios and pants on fire...love the WP and NPR. Regardless how severe you believe the dept of health and human services decision in July was, it's surely a step back for welfare reform. And Jenny under the Affordable Health Care Act people can receive free or low cost care. So obviously that means free birth control. And I don't know where you work but everyone I work with regardless of gender pays the same premiums. You know, what if we got rid of insurance companies all together and just paid the hospitals our premiums? That way the people who need it get the help they need, and then when I need it it there would be coverage there for me. Sounds like a good idea to get rid of the corporate middle man...just an interesting thought...there has to be a better way.